New Ulm weekly review., 1887-04-06


The Sensational q Man Who Gets
Into the Embrace of Devil
Fish.
From the New York Sun.
"We were lying about half a. mile off,
the beach at the Barbados, overhaul
ing the standing rigging said James
Gillis, able seaman, ''when the mate
ordered John Webb an apprentice boy
and myself into the yawI, which had
been covered and brought around to
port side, that some painting might
be done just abaft the mainmast. It
was a. terribly hot day, and the water
very warm and the men having little
energy. The paint was lowered down
to us, and while used the brush the
boy held the yawl in position. We
had been at work for about a quarter
OF an hour when the boy suddenly
yelled out in alright, and as turned
to him he declared that he had seen
horrible-looking object pass under
the boat, and so on under the ship.
There are plenty OF strange creatures
floating about in those waters, and a
patch Of seaweed will sometimes as
sumo a queer shape. laughed at the
boys fears, but at the same time saw
how pale and frightened he looked.
Whats wanted below there?' call.
ed the mate as he leaned over the rail,
having heard Webb's cry Of alarm.
"FI-I saw something go under the
boat sir
"'Oh, you did. Well if you bawl
out again you'll feel something 60 un-
der your Jacket
81 began work again, and had been
at it only three or four minutes when
the yawl heaved away from the ship
stant the boy screamed out again.
when something flashed before my
eyes, something caught my arm and
: pulled it down and pinned it fast to
my body, and in five seconds. more
knew what had happened. Adevil fish
had flung one OF his arms about me.
Webb vas screaming at the top of his
voice, and as got alook at him, Isaw
that two Of the beasts feelers were
clutching him. The arm Or feeler which
had reached me pinned my arm to my
side as if in a wise, making a clean
wrap around my body, and the ex-
treme end of the feeler crept up
along my neck and face. Talk OF pain.
never felt anything likeit The teeth
OF bulldog couldn't have hurt worse.
It was a burning, biting, blistering SEN
sation, as if a. live coal had been laid on
the flesh. I added my yells to those OF
Webb, but before any one came to the
rail was jerked to my knees in the
boat and saw that the creatures OBJ
iect was to pull me overheard. ]
heard the boy 60 down and thrash
about, and then three OF the men
came to our assistance.
'The devil fish had outwitted him.
self. He had gone under the ship and
fastened to her bottom or keel, and
as soon as he began pulling on us be
OF course pulled the yawl close against
the ships side. That closed the gap
and he could not pull us overheard,
although think he would have upset
the yawl, for we were both down on
her starboard side and she was almost
on her beam ends when the men Jump.
ed down. They began to cut and
slash and hack with their knives, and
after two Or three minutes they had
us free-not OF the arms, but Of
the creature. We were hoisted or
board bowling and groaning, with the
feelers still biting, and they had to be
cut from us almost by inches. Webt
got it far worse than did, as he wore
a thin cotton shirt and was barefoot
ed. He was bitten on one foot, both
hands and across the breast, and il
was long two weeks before he was or
deck again, bis face swelled up unit
one eye was closed, and the poison
, made me i'll for many days. Wher
ever one Of the cups Or suckers tool
! hold the skin was entirely taken off
and it seemed as if pins had beer
stuck into the raw. flesh. A nativ
doctor brought me some herbs O
which to make a poultice, and, though
that relieved the pam and helped nj
to get around again. it was months
before my face was entirely we'll.
"The devil-fsh minded the loss 9
his three arms for only half an hour
at the end OF which time he clutche(
the empty boat, half capsized her, an<
swan twice around the ship as a de
fance to the crew. Two Or thre
musket balls were fired into him, an<
he sank out Of sight to be seen n,
more during our stay"